Maybe targeted web advertising would be more successful if it chose its targets more wisely: (From A Modern-Day Ada Lovelace)
It never works. No matter how much mainstream, ad-targetable, genderblind information I provide, more than half of the targeted ads I see are for weight loss (usually in terms of dress sizes or low calorie stereotypical craving snacks), snake oil anti-aging secrets and stretch mark removal. Today, facebook tried to give me a $10 off coupon at diapers.com and “acne care in a chocolate”.
I see a very simple solution to avoid the ire of increasing numbers of folks online, a very simple option M or F or ‘I’m not telling’ or ‘don’t use this information for ad-targeting’ and the same on ages. But the traditional sales force doesn’t want that, I’m sure. It would break everything they know in marketing, to think we want to be approached as people.
Or better yet, lmtfa. I never click ads, usually have them blocked, and more often than not, refuse to do business with companies from whom I see a lot of spam. I'm not alone, so why do companies waste their money bombarding people with ads they'd rather not see?
If we could get rid of the overwhelming amount of brainded American ads for braindead poducts, internet advertising would be far better off.
Nowadays American sites totaly blocks for other sites with more relevant information (if you live outside USA).